Optical check (microscope, camera)

[vondeu]

Hi guys,

I find it quite hard sometimes to relatie a problem in a (test)pressing. 90% procent of the time the problem can be solved by a good look, a good listen and changing different settings or either give it all a good cleaning. The other 10% is quite hard to solve, unless you have the right gear.

We are planning to upgrade our optical check gear and i was wondering what you could recommend. I would love to hear some do’s or dont’s before spending money on useless crap.

Main goal: Detect problems on either: laquer, stamper and/or pressing.

Hope you can help me out,

Thanks in advance

Have a good day
Cheers

Thomas

[audiosteam]

Hi Thomas,

regarding optical check.

Optical microscope:
There's really a lot of choice.. including cheap ones from OEM manufacturers. It really depends how much you want to invest.. you probably already have a good one I don't think that we need the very expensive stuff for our activity.
I'd say what's most important is great lightning, a double goose neck optical light with intensity regulation and maybe even white color switch. Those lights are very powerful and you can change the angle. Plus a micrometer lens.
Digital microscope: ha this is an interesting topic. you'll find some really very expensive stuff and some really cheap. It's like cameras.. the price makes a great difference if you're really serious and want to save data for comparing and reference this is a good way. The software provides micro metering too. The software is going to make a huge difference.. the cheap ones usually have shitty soft and no updates... for digital ones check Dinolite.

Then you probably already have your preferred reference records .. there are some turntables for playing stampers, Stanton made some but they're hard to find and the needles worse.

Are you doing in house cutting and galvanics?

Best

Alex

[audiosteam]

was sure to post this as a PM.. probably too tired.

[andybee]

Try this, together with a stereo microscope:

https://www.dino-lite.com/products01.php?index_m1_id=3

we have very good optical results, there is also a integrated measurement
option (software based), which works very well!

[vondeu]

Thanks Alex and Andy!

Regarding the PM Alex: No worries, i hope your straight and clear answer is also helpfull for other young guys like me.

Like always is the budget not that big and also my overall knowledge about microscopes is not that big. That makes it quite difficult but also exciting.

I think the suggestion of Andy is very interesting, tommorow i have some spare time do some real research about the Stereo Microscope in combination with the suggested Dinolite.

Cheers,
Thomas

[llary]

Amscope make decent optical microscopes for the price but I would not buy their digital scope cameras, they are garbage.

Stereo microscopes are very important for this work because they allow you to see depth in 3D. I like to use a trinocular microscope (stereo eyepieces and additional port for a camera). You can use any analog or digital scope camera that you like on the 3rd port.

[TheCrates]

I have two dino-lite's usb version, very good, but very expensive! Won it cheap on a auction, otherwise i would not bought it.

Recently i saw this, 40€... Ill give it a try.

https://www.ebay.de/itm/600X-Zoom-3-6MP-USB-Video-Digital-Microscope-4-3-Inches-1080P-HD-LCD-Display-DE-/292820689390?oid=202310420049

[grae.area]

we gotta "understand" a few phenomena and it will be quite impossible without decent optical check - what level of zoom do we need to get a "readable" image of both groove walls?